Can opener



April 12, 1949. RUSH 2,467,232

CAN OPENER Filed Dec'. 17, 1945 55 u-fi ll 21 24 A 2 16 2a 1 I INVENTOR.

THONRS I. RUSH g/MM arr,

Patented Apr. 12, 1949 UNITED STATES iPATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention relates in general to can openers and, more particularly,to a can opener in which a rotatable traction element is arranged toengage and move a can relative to a pivotally mounted cutting blade.

The general object of my invention is to provide a can opener of thecharacter described with new, improved and readily releasable, yieldingholding means for holding a can in proper engagement with the tractionelement during can opening operations.

Another object of my invention is to provide a can opener of thecharacter described with holding means yieldingly mounted, on thepivoted cutting blade to yieldingly hold a can in proper engagement withthe traction element during can opening operations and permit quickrelease of the can when the cutting blade is shifted into inoperativeposition.

A further object of my invention is to provide a can opener of thecharacter described with means for controlling and adjusting theposition of the cutting blade to effect proper and easy opening of canshaving circular, oval or substantially rectangular cross sections.

To obtain above and similar objects, the invention has other markedimprovements and superiorities which distinguish it from presently knownstructures. These improvements or superior characteristics embodyingcertain novel features of construction are clearly set forth theappended claims; and a preferred form of can opener particularly wellsuited to obtain the objects of the invention is hereinafter shown withreference to the accompanying drawin forming part of the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a can opener constructed in accordance with theinvention, the view showing the can engaging side of the opener.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the can opener shown in 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the can opener shown in Fig. 1, the viewshowing the can opener applied to a can.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the can opener as shown in Fig. 3, disclosingthe handle side of the can opener.

Figs. 5 through 8 are side views of the elements of the cutting bladeand holding member assembly, thus Fig. 5 is a side View of the cuttingblade;

Fig. 6 a side view of the filler,

Fig. 7 a side View of the roller disc guide plate, and

Fig. 8 a side view of the roller disc assembly in.-

cluding the stud securing the disc supporting spring to the cuttingblade.

Referring now more specifically to the accom-. panying drawing whichillustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, reference numeral 2denotes an elongated base plate adapted to be removably mounted on abracket ,3. Base plate 2 carries near its one end a tubular, partlyslitted member 4 sleeved. with its slitted portion 5 on plate 2 andsecured thereto in any suitabl mam ner to form plate 2 with a dependingpivot arm. This pivot arm cooperates with bracket 3 in nonrotatablysupporting base plate 2 when said pivot arm is extended into sleeve 1 ofsaid bracket and the lower edge of plate 2 is rested in the cross slot 8of said sleeve. Base plate 2 mounts on its other end a traction elementiconsisting of a hardened steel disc with a toothed peripheral edge.disc, which is rotatably mounted on the can engaging side ill of baseplate 2, is rigidly coupled with a crank H arranged at the other side ofsaid base plate, which latter includes a struck-up portion l2 laterallyprojecting from base plate 2 subjacent to traction element 9 to efiectproper spacing of a can and stabilizing of the can during cuttingoperations. Base plate '2 furthermore supports at the top portion abovetraction element 9 a cutting blade and holding member assembly M. Thisassembly is arranged opposite to the can engaging side of base plate 2and pivoted at I5 to offset portion l5 of said base plate, which portionis specifically offset to effect the desired relation of assembly M withrespect to traction element 9 so necessary for proper operation of saidassembly.

The cutting blade and holding member assembly embodies a cutting bladeI! and a spring supported pressure roller or disc member I8 which ismounted on the cutting blade. member is freely rotatably supported onthe arm !9 of an L-shaped wire spring 29 provided with a central coil.2i mounted on stud 22 in a bore 23 of cutting blade El, and a second arm24, the end of which is extended into a bore 25 in blade I], The arm 19of spring 20 has its pressure roller supporting end extended into anelongated slot 28 in blade H to limit yielding movements of said arm andeffect pretensioning of spring 20. Pressure roller or disc member i8 isheld against lateral movements by a guide plate 29 which includes bores30 and 3! aligned with bores 23 and 26 in cutting blade I! and a slot 32aligned with the slot 28 in said blade, the bores and slots beingarranged for stud 22 and ends of spring arms l9 This pressure.

and 24. Guide plate 29 is spaced from the cutting blade by a filler 33and secured to the cutting blade by stud 22.

The thus constructed cutting blade and holding member assembly extends,when in proper working position, through an aperture 34 in base plate 2formed with a laterally projecting flange 35 at the upper edge of saidaperture to facilitate positioning a can between the cutting blade andtraction element and prevent excessive angular displacement of the canduring opening operations.

The proper working position of cutting blade and holding member assemblyfor cans of different diameters and shapes is controlled by a screwmember 38 threadedly extended through an ear portion 36 on base plate 2,which screw member engages with the rounded edge 39 of cutting blade ll.Screw member 38 carries at its rear end a knob 4|] to facilitaterotation for adjustment of the position of cutting blade and holdingmember assembly l4, all as indicated in Fig. 4, showing in dotted linesthe position of assembly 14 when screw member 38 has been shifted to thedotted line position.

In operating the can opener, cutting blade and holding member assemblyI4 is first swung upwardly, as indicated by arrow 4| in Fig. 1, topermit placing of the lower surface of the rim or seam of the can to beopened on traction ele ment 9, and then swung downwardly to placecutting blade [1 into puncturing engagement with the can top at a pointimmediately adjacent the inner periphery of the bead, and place thepressure roller or disc member l8 into yielding engagement with theupper surface of the can bead. In this position, rotation of tractionelement 9 by crank H causes the can to be moved and its top puncturedand sheared by the inclined cutting edge 42 of cutting blade H, theblade preferably being held in somewhat inclined position (see Fig. 2)to effect shearing of the can top close to the bead and flattening ofthe cut edge of the can downwardly and against the inner side of the canso that a smooth surface will be had.

The yielding mounting of pressure roller or disc member 18 of cuttingblade and holding member assembly 14 permits automatic adjustment ofmember I 8 to cans with different heights claim is:

1. In a can opener a frame embodying a substantially flat body, alaterally offset top portion extended from said body in a plane spacedfrom and parallel to said body and an elongated aperture extending inadjacent portions of said body and top portion, a traction elementrotatably mounted on the can engaging side of said body, and a cuttingblade and pressure member assembly pivotally mounted on said offsetportion of the frame and extended through said aperture toward saidtraction element for cooperation therewith.

2. A can opener as described in claim 1, wherein said assembly includesa cutting blade, a spring mounted on said blade and a pressure rollerrotatably mounted on said spring to yieldingly force a can when theopener is applied thereto into contact with said traction element.

3. A can opener as described in claim 1, wherein said assembly includesa slotted cutting blade, an L-shaped, pretensioned wire spring pivotedto said blade provided with arms, one of which is secured to the bladeand the other one of which is extended through a slot in said cuttingblade, and a pressure roller freely rotatably mounted on said last arm.

1. A can opener as described in claim 1, including shiftable stop meansmounted on said frame body and cooperating with said assembly inadjusting the relative working position of said assembly and thetraction element for cans of different diameters and shapes.

5. A can opener as described in claim 1, including shiftable stop meansmounted on said frame body and extended into said aperture forcooperation with said assembly in adjusting the relative workingposition of said assembly and the traction element for cans of differentdiameters and shapes.

6. In a can opener a frame embodying a substantially flat body, alaterally offset top portion extended from said body in a plane spacedfrom and parallel to said body, and an elongated aperture extending inadjacent portions of said body and top portion, a traction elementrotatably mounted on the can engaging side of said body, a leverpivotally mounted on the offset portion of said frame having a cuttingedge extended through said aperture toward said traction element forcooperation therewith, and shiftable stop means mounted on said framebody and extended into said aperture in alignment with one edge of saidlever for cooperation therewith in adjusting the relative workingposition of the traction element and th cutting edge of said lever forcans of different diameters and shapes.

THOMAS L. RUSH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,070,279 Killman Feb. 9, 19372,102,174 Aesbach Dec. 14, 1937 2,204,368 Kublin June 11, 1940

